The Notchbook is a fine case for the iPad Air. It has everything you’d expect. It has a leather shell and a suede interior. It folds into a stand for watching videos or for using as a workstand. It even activates the sleep/wake mechanism. It’s an entirely familiar design, except for its gimmick—it has a notch cut into the fold for your thumb, allowing you to easily use it two-handed.

Now, you could just fold the case all the way over to give yourself a two-handed grip, but this creates a problem; since the front cover plus the hinge makes it longer than the back cover, this means the front will either be extended into your right hand (shortening your reach on the right), or you can create a triangle with the hinge, giving you an awkward grip on the left (and possibly wrist strain).

But with the folded-flap of the notch, you can just slide your thumb in, giving you the normal amount of access you’d have sans case. It’s a simple idea to a problem you don’t think about until it’s pointed out. Cases interfere with how you hold an iPad. It’s a direct solution to the problem that doesn’t call attention to it.

How useful you’ll find it depends on how often you use an Air two-handed (they also have a Notchbook for the iPad mini). In all other respects, it’s just like a lot of other well-designed folding cases. But the notch allows you to hold it with the fingers of your left hand supporting the back (which is attached to the Air via four elastic bands), rather than having to grip the folding cover firmly so the iPad doesn’t flop around. Less stress on your hand.

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